[MORE INFO: Folks, sorry about the video quality. I accidentally filmed this in HD and as my subscribers have come to know, I do these videos in one take with no do-overs. I'll increase the resolution in the next video. I forgot to mention that those heavy inner numbered cylinders are marked with an L and R. Each goes on a specific end of the dumbbell. You'll know immediately if you installed them on the wrong end. The numbering will decrease as the shafts extend outward,. Just swap them to the other end and you're all set. I should have also mentioned that Core HF offers a 50lb version while NÜOBELL offers a 50lb and 80lb model. But, at the end of the day, does the amount of weight really matter more than the dumbbell's durability? A broken 80lb adjustable dumbbell is no more useful than a broken 50. Both of these manufacturers need to fix these design flaws. Poor material choices undermine what would otherwise be fairly solid adjustable dumbbell designs. ]
thank you for making this video - core home fitness wasn't able to help me but after watching your video I was able to fix my "sticky" handle. I removed the weight plates and then turned the handle out to 50lbs and saw my rod wasn't straight anymore. Bending it back fixed the stickiness; now it changes weights smoothly again. For future reference; core home fitness is currently selling replacement handles for $75. I'm glad they make them available. If you are looking for a buy-it-for-life set of adjustable dumbbells these core home fitness dumbbells are not the way to go.
Hiya, Patrick. Sorry about the delayed reply. I've been out of the country for the past couple weeks with intermittent Internet access. Thank you for sharing your recent experience with your Cores, and for that up-to-date pricing information. I appreciate it. Was the rod merely bent with no cracking anywhere along its length? That would be my main concern. If it's cracked/fractured it may flex more easily in the future and bind again. I definitely agree that it's not a buy-it-for-life design. Cheers, Joe
I've had my Core Home Fitness adjustable dumbbells for about 4 years now and are still in good shape. No issues yet(knock on wood) and I use them regularly. Thanks for the video!!
Same here, Ady. About 4/5yrs no issues other than occasionally having trouble getting things lined up when returning the handles to the bases. I feel pretty confident that they'll last if I don't drop them, but we'll see.
@@adyfregoso2112 I just just finished filming a Snode AD80 teardown. You'll see that here on YT in the next day or so. I hope you'll check it out! Cheers, Joe
@@AverageJoeInnovationsLLC Hey Average Joe. I have a VERY strange request. I was one of the unlucky fools parted from his money a few years ago with the Kharbon earbuds scam. I saw your video too late and did not get my money back. To make matters worse, I ended up ordering 10 pairs for family and friends. The story has a happy middle though. To my surprise, I received everything I ordered, just a few months late. The earbuds actually worked like a dream. The most shocking thing to me is the battery life in the charging case. The earbuds will last several hours at a time, and can literally be charged before the case is dead for a month of use. So for the past year I have started to realise they are going to fail, age I have no way to replace them. I have gotten back some of the pairs I gave as gifts, but some of them will not pair properly. I have strange request. Is there any way you possibly still have those 3 pairs you bought from Ivante as a sample? I would really love to buy them from you. I cannot figure out how to contact the company myself. ua-cam.com/video/-5Q6yAfBsh4/v-deo.html
Have you looked into the NordicTrack 55 lb Select-a-Weight Dumbbell? I'm having difficulty deciding between the convenience of the core home adjustable dumbbells and the NordicTrack but don't know how the NordicTrack will hold up to the test of time either.
Hi, Jamister. I have no experience with the NT's yet. I need to get caught up with posting two long overdue tear downs first. I'll look into NT at a later date. Sorry, I know that isn't of any help to you at the moment. I can only tell you from experience that my personal pair of Cores are still going strong after a few years. I don't drop them so I don't think the telescoping rods will crack, but that remains to be seen. Some of the plastics used on adjustable dumbbells seem to get more brittle with age, as is the case with some of the components of SelectTechs. Wishing you and your family a healthy, happy new year! Cheers, Joe
@@AverageJoeInnovationsLLC Thanks! I went ahead and purchased the Core Home adjustable dumbbells, I will also be gentle with them and hope they last for at least 5 years.
If we assume for the moment that neither dumbbell will ever be dropped, I'd choose Core without hesitation. Nuobell cam followers appear to be failing from ordinary use. The simple back and forth twist of the grips to change weights eventually chews up and shears off the cam followers. I own a pair of Core. So far, I've had no issues with them beyond occasional misalignment when trying to return the dumbbells between the plates in the base. I suspect we won't hear about any failures due to twisting the grips to adjust the weights. Core's weakness is shaft damage from drops.
The handle is broken so cut it open to see how the pins got installed. Can you show us how to replace the rubber handle cover with metal knurling. Like a knurled sleeve?
Hi, Ed. I want to make sure that I understand you correctly. Did you cut open one of your Core dumbbell handles? Or were you referring to the Nuobell handle that I had cut open in a different video? I ask because Cores don't need to be cut open so long as we use the tricks I cover in the video above. As far as I am aware there are no knurled grip replacements for Core (yet). They could certainly be manufactured, but the knurl would not be very aggressive. It would be more like the knurl on the Nuobell, very passive. The knurl depth is limited by the thin walled steel sleeve necessary to make the grip. The bigger challenge would be installation. I could definitely make a video that shows how to remove the OEM grip, but I would be very concerned about customers encountering a number of issues during disassembly and reassembly. From a customer service and support perspective, a mod like this would likely require a high volume of after-sales support. I'll add this topic to my list. I just can't promise a specific time frame at the moment, sorry. I'm several months behind on my video to-do list. Cheers, Joe
It is entirely possible that CAP is licensing the patent from the folks behind Nuobell, just like Core. I haven't torn one apart yet, but I suspect the internals are similar to Core. Cheers.
Hi, Dave. I may take a closer look for the heck of it, but probably not for several weeks due to my current workload. Someone else requested the same tear down. Based on photos I've seen, they look like they're loosely based on a mash-up of the Bowflex SelectTech 552 and 560, so I anticipate similar internals.
@@davet4580 I'll have to take a look when I have some time, but I doubt the internals have changed. Changing the color of the plastic is straightforward and doesn't require the time and expense of retooling. Similar to the many Bowflex 552 knock-offs that use the same basic BF design and just change the color of the molded plastics.
Which would you choose snode 80 or core? Core is obviously cheaper. But if snode lasts longer id say the extra cost up front would be worth it. Im all about fixing my own stuff if possible too
Hi, Jeff. No contest here. Snode, hands down. I like my Core dumbbells but they're capped at 50lbs and I do expect that eventually the plastic shafts will begin to fail even though they haven't yet. And when they do, I don't plan to buy replacement handles.
my core dumbbell fell and all of the plates came off except for one. I removed the end cap but still can’t access the pin you mentioned because the inner plate is still on the dumbbell. Any advice?
Sorry about the late reply. I'm not on UA-cam on a regular basis. When you say that all of the plates came off except for one. Do you mean that, as a result of the drop, all of the plates immediately fell off one or both sides of the dumbbell? Or do you mean that the dumbbell fell, then you placed it into its base, lowered the weight setting, and all of the plates were no longer engaged except for the half plate? Feel free to email me the details to me at: joe@averagejoeinnovations.com. It'll be easier to communicate by email to see if we can resolve this. Cheers, Joe
Are there any core home fitness adjustable dumbbell set that are counterfeit on facebook marketplace? I looked for information but nothing is available. Thanks Martin
Hiya, Martin. Great question, but I do not know the answer. I've not yet seen Core knockoffs, but I would not be surprised to find that some exist. My understanding is that Core licensed from the same folks behind Nuobell. Although the implementation is fundamentally different, it shares a common concept of twist grip adjustment with telescoping rods which may be why they obtained a license.
@AverageJoeInnovationsLLC I took the dive. I picked up a set today from the gentleman on marketplace. It was the newer set with the all black cradles. All the decals look legit and I was able to inspect and test both sets. I even got the stand as well. Paid $350 for the complete setup. He said he buys from the warehouse it's their refused orders. These inter rods are lubricated so I felt they are legit. Plus directions and paperwork wasn't full of misspellings and grammar errors. I am looking forward to using them more tomorrow. Thanks for your reply.
I'm not sure I'd say don't buy them. Mine are still unbroken years later. Knock on wood. But, I would say if someone decides to buy them, definitely do not drop them. If you place them on the ground between sets they *should* be ok. One unknown is whether the aging plastic shafts will eventually break even from ordinary use without being dropped. I don't know, but I will eventually find out as mine age further. And the fact remains that we can't buy replacement parts, so there is that factor. If a retailer is running a deal on these and selling them for a couple hundred bucks, and you want a pair of 5-50lb dumbbells on a budget, they aren't bad.
[MORE INFO: Folks, sorry about the video quality. I accidentally filmed this in HD and as my subscribers have come to know, I do these videos in one take with no do-overs. I'll increase the resolution in the next video.
I forgot to mention that those heavy inner numbered cylinders are marked with an L and R. Each goes on a specific end of the dumbbell. You'll know immediately if you installed them on the wrong end. The numbering will decrease as the shafts extend outward,. Just swap them to the other end and you're all set.
I should have also mentioned that Core HF offers a 50lb version while NÜOBELL offers a 50lb and 80lb model. But, at the end of the day, does the amount of weight really matter more than the dumbbell's durability? A broken 80lb adjustable dumbbell is no more useful than a broken 50. Both of these manufacturers need to fix these design flaws. Poor material choices undermine what would otherwise be fairly solid adjustable dumbbell designs. ]
thank you for making this video - core home fitness wasn't able to help me but after watching your video I was able to fix my "sticky" handle. I removed the weight plates and then turned the handle out to 50lbs and saw my rod wasn't straight anymore. Bending it back fixed the stickiness; now it changes weights smoothly again. For future reference; core home fitness is currently selling replacement handles for $75. I'm glad they make them available. If you are looking for a buy-it-for-life set of adjustable dumbbells these core home fitness dumbbells are not the way to go.
Hiya, Patrick. Sorry about the delayed reply. I've been out of the country for the past couple weeks with intermittent Internet access.
Thank you for sharing your recent experience with your Cores, and for that up-to-date pricing information. I appreciate it. Was the rod merely bent with no cracking anywhere along its length? That would be my main concern. If it's cracked/fractured it may flex more easily in the future and bind again. I definitely agree that it's not a buy-it-for-life design.
Cheers, Joe
I've had my Core Home Fitness adjustable dumbbells for about 4 years now and are still in good shape. No issues yet(knock on wood) and I use them regularly. Thanks for the video!!
Thanks to your teardown videos though, my next investment in adjustable dumbbells will definitely be the Snode AD80.
Same here, Ady. About 4/5yrs no issues other than occasionally having trouble getting things lined up when returning the handles to the bases. I feel pretty confident that they'll last if I don't drop them, but we'll see.
@@adyfregoso2112 I just just finished filming a Snode AD80 teardown. You'll see that here on YT in the next day or so. I hope you'll check it out! Cheers, Joe
Been waiting for this video!
It only took me forever to finally get around to it. Thanks for hanging in there. Hopefully you found it informative, Jeremy. Cheers, Joe
@@AverageJoeInnovationsLLC Hey Average Joe. I have a VERY strange request. I was one of the unlucky fools parted from his money a few years ago with the Kharbon earbuds scam. I saw your video too late and did not get my money back. To make matters worse, I ended up ordering 10 pairs for family and friends.
The story has a happy middle though. To my surprise, I received everything I ordered, just a few months late. The earbuds actually worked like a dream. The most shocking thing to me is the battery life in the charging case. The earbuds will last several hours at a time, and can literally be charged before the case is dead for a month of use.
So for the past year I have started to realise they are going to fail, age I have no way to replace them. I have gotten back some of the pairs I gave as gifts, but some of them will not pair properly. I have strange request. Is there any way you possibly still have those 3 pairs you bought from Ivante as a sample? I would really love to buy them from you. I cannot figure out how to contact the company myself.
ua-cam.com/video/-5Q6yAfBsh4/v-deo.html
Have you looked into the NordicTrack 55 lb Select-a-Weight Dumbbell? I'm having difficulty deciding between the convenience of the core home adjustable dumbbells and the NordicTrack but don't know how the NordicTrack will hold up to the test of time either.
Hi, Jamister. I have no experience with the NT's yet. I need to get caught up with posting two long overdue tear downs first. I'll look into NT at a later date. Sorry, I know that isn't of any help to you at the moment.
I can only tell you from experience that my personal pair of Cores are still going strong after a few years. I don't drop them so I don't think the telescoping rods will crack, but that remains to be seen. Some of the plastics used on adjustable dumbbells seem to get more brittle with age, as is the case with some of the components of SelectTechs.
Wishing you and your family a healthy, happy new year! Cheers, Joe
@@AverageJoeInnovationsLLC Thanks! I went ahead and purchased the Core Home adjustable dumbbells, I will also be gentle with them and hope they last for at least 5 years.
Is there a place where you can buy a replacement handle for the core home fitness model?
I got in contact with core home fitness and they sell replacements
If you had to pick between the Nuobell and Core, which would you say is the most robust / least likely to break?
If we assume for the moment that neither dumbbell will ever be dropped, I'd choose Core without hesitation. Nuobell cam followers appear to be failing from ordinary use. The simple back and forth twist of the grips to change weights eventually chews up and shears off the cam followers.
I own a pair of Core. So far, I've had no issues with them beyond occasional misalignment when trying to return the dumbbells between the plates in the base. I suspect we won't hear about any failures due to twisting the grips to adjust the weights. Core's weakness is shaft damage from drops.
The handle is broken so cut it open to see how the pins got installed. Can you show us how to replace the rubber handle cover with metal knurling. Like a knurled sleeve?
Hi, Ed. I want to make sure that I understand you correctly. Did you cut open one of your Core dumbbell handles? Or were you referring to the Nuobell handle that I had cut open in a different video? I ask because Cores don't need to be cut open so long as we use the tricks I cover in the video above.
As far as I am aware there are no knurled grip replacements for Core (yet). They could certainly be manufactured, but the knurl would not be very aggressive. It would be more like the knurl on the Nuobell, very passive. The knurl depth is limited by the thin walled steel sleeve necessary to make the grip.
The bigger challenge would be installation. I could definitely make a video that shows how to remove the OEM grip, but I would be very concerned about customers encountering a number of issues during disassembly and reassembly. From a customer service and support perspective, a mod like this would likely require a high volume of after-sales support.
I'll add this topic to my list. I just can't promise a specific time frame at the moment, sorry. I'm several months behind on my video to-do list. Cheers, Joe
CAP sells a similar set with hex style plates
It is entirely possible that CAP is licensing the patent from the folks behind Nuobell, just like Core. I haven't torn one apart yet, but I suspect the internals are similar to Core. Cheers.
@@AverageJoeInnovationsLLC Thank you
Interesting!
Any chance of tearing down a fitrx smartbell from Walmart? They're under $200 for a set, 5-52lbs
Hi, Dave. I may take a closer look for the heck of it, but probably not for several weeks due to my current workload. Someone else requested the same tear down. Based on photos I've seen, they look like they're loosely based on a mash-up of the Bowflex SelectTech 552 and 560, so I anticipate similar internals.
@@AverageJoeInnovationsLLC I also see the core fitness dbs have a new color scheme, hopefully they didn't change the internal components
@@davet4580 I'll have to take a look when I have some time, but I doubt the internals have changed. Changing the color of the plastic is straightforward and doesn't require the time and expense of retooling. Similar to the many Bowflex 552 knock-offs that use the same basic BF design and just change the color of the molded plastics.
Which would you choose snode 80 or core? Core is obviously cheaper. But if snode lasts longer id say the extra cost up front would be worth it. Im all about fixing my own stuff if possible too
Hi, Jeff. No contest here. Snode, hands down. I like my Core dumbbells but they're capped at 50lbs and I do expect that eventually the plastic shafts will begin to fail even though they haven't yet. And when they do, I don't plan to buy replacement handles.
One just broke on mine. Disconnected on one end. Has a 15 on one end and nothing on the other.
ur awesome
my core dumbbell fell and all of the plates came off except for one. I removed the end cap but still can’t access the pin you mentioned because the inner plate is still on the dumbbell. Any advice?
Sorry about the late reply. I'm not on UA-cam on a regular basis. When you say that all of the plates came off except for one. Do you mean that, as a result of the drop, all of the plates immediately fell off one or both sides of the dumbbell? Or do you mean that the dumbbell fell, then you placed it into its base, lowered the weight setting, and all of the plates were no longer engaged except for the half plate? Feel free to email me the details to me at: joe@averagejoeinnovations.com. It'll be easier to communicate by email to see if we can resolve this. Cheers, Joe
Are there any core home fitness adjustable dumbbell set that are counterfeit on facebook marketplace? I looked for information but nothing is available. Thanks Martin
Hiya, Martin. Great question, but I do not know the answer. I've not yet seen Core knockoffs, but I would not be surprised to find that some exist. My understanding is that Core licensed from the same folks behind Nuobell. Although the implementation is fundamentally different, it shares a common concept of twist grip adjustment with telescoping rods which may be why they obtained a license.
@AverageJoeInnovationsLLC I took the dive. I picked up a set today from the gentleman on marketplace. It was the newer set with the all black cradles. All the decals look legit and I was able to inspect and test both sets. I even got the stand as well. Paid $350 for the complete setup. He said he buys from the warehouse it's their refused orders. These inter rods are lubricated so I felt they are legit. Plus directions and paperwork wasn't full of misspellings and grammar errors. I am looking forward to using them more tomorrow. Thanks for your reply.
Long story short - do not buy these
I'm not sure I'd say don't buy them. Mine are still unbroken years later. Knock on wood. But, I would say if someone decides to buy them, definitely do not drop them. If you place them on the ground between sets they *should* be ok. One unknown is whether the aging plastic shafts will eventually break even from ordinary use without being dropped. I don't know, but I will eventually find out as mine age further. And the fact remains that we can't buy replacement parts, so there is that factor.
If a retailer is running a deal on these and selling them for a couple hundred bucks, and you want a pair of 5-50lb dumbbells on a budget, they aren't bad.